Want to be sure you are giving us your GGM's MAIDEN surname.Records online for Pietrapertosa begin around 1866. So I thought I would check marriages. I have checked the marriage indexes from 1874 through 1880 (her age being about 19 - 25), and so far have not found her. I'll keep looking.

If not, can you tell us a bit more information about her - husband's name, children's names. Did she immigrate? If yes, when?

She married a man that left her, I don't know his name. She then had four children out of wedlock with a man named Vincenzo Brenna and the children kept her maiden name, Valluzzi. The children's names were Vito Rocco, Giuseppe, Maria Rosa and my Grandfather Giambattista. Maria Carmela immigrated to America in 1908.

jvalluzz wrote:She married a man that left her, I don't know his name. She then had four children out of wedlock with a man named Vincenzo Brenna and the children kept her maiden name, Valluzzi. The children's names were Vito Rocco, Giuseppe, Maria Rosa and my Grandfather Giambattista. Maria Carmela immigrated to America in 1908.

Thank you for the quick update! Were the children born in Pietrapertosa?For your GF Giambattista, do you know his approx. year of birth? birthplace?

The information I have for Giambattista Valluzzi shows him being born in 1885 and dying in 1937 at the age of 52. I believe this also matches the ships manifest.

Some of the Chicago, Cook County, Illinois birth records of Giambattista's children list his place of birth as being Atella, Potenza, Basilicata, Italy. I also have had contact with two different cousins in Italy that say that Maria Rosa's children were born in Atella. One still lives there. It was one of these cousins that said Maria Rosa was born in Pietrapertosa.

One of these cousin's is actually the wife of my cousin who's family moved away from Atella many generations ago and is just repeating family stories they heard and remember. The cousin that still lives in Atella is 70 years old, does not speak English, I don't speak Italian, and doesn't appear to use her computer that often so communications with both parties is infrequent and difficult.

If yoursure she was born in Pietrapertosa I would get the films records of stato civile di Pietrapertosa (Potenza), 1809-1910 from Family History Library for her birth act there is a film Nati, pubblicazioni, matrimoni, morti, diversi, allegati 1852-1857 which would give you 5 years cushion The film is FHL INTL Film #2097492